Paramount+ is not a new streaming service per se, but rather a rebranding of CBS All Access. Because of this, the service already has a number of original series under its belt. But there are also some that have only had a single season to date, many of which won't be returning with new ones.
The many series available and coming to Paramount+ are dominated by those within the drama genre, and they range from popular anchor series to lesser-known ones as well as legacy series.
Which are among the best of the Paramount+, formerly CBS All Access, drama originals? When it comes to rankings, Rotten Tomatoes is a review aggregator website that brings it all together and is often a good barometer for what's worth watching.
Coyote (2021) – 55%
This crime drama starring Michael Chiklis (The Shield) premiered on CBS All Access in January 2021 and streamed six episodes in its first season. It's about Ben Clemens (Chiklis), who, after spending more than 30 years as a border patrol agent, finds himself working for the very people he once tried to keep out of the country.
Unfortunately, the series ranks lowest among all Paramount+ original dramas, despite getting pretty decent reviews on other review aggregator sites like Metacritic. There has been no word yet about a second season, but the series has not been officially cancelled, either.
The Stand (2020) – 56%
A miniseries, The Stand received mixed reviews, despite the star-studded cast that included names like James Marsden, Alexander Skarsgård, Whoopi Goldberg, and Amber Heard, and the fact that it's based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. The post-apocalyptic story might have been too close to home: it's about a pandemic caused by a military biological research station that leads to a deadly strain of influenza that wipes out most of the human population.
Released in December 2020, it looked at how the few remaining survivors became either drawn to the darkness or the light – it was a garden variety good vs. evil story that missed the mark.
Interrogation (2020) – 57%
The premise of this series sounds interesting: after a young man is charged with murdering his mother, every episode follows the police as they interrogate him and try to uncover the truth about what happened. Since interrogation scenes tend to be among the most intense in TV series and movies, it stands to reason that a series centered around the interrogation would be thrilling.
Making it even more compelling is that the series is based on a true story that took place over a 30-year period. Interrogation conversations are even taken directly from the real police case files. The idea is for viewers to treat it like a whodunit, working to solve the case alongside the authorities. That means episodes can be watched in any order, as long as viewers save the final one for last. The concept didn't take, though, and the series was cancelled after its first season.
Tell Me A Story (2018) – 60%
A psychological thriller, Tell Me a Story looks at classic fairy tales and what they might look like if they were reimagined today, and with a far more sinister spin. Both seasons to date feature a mostly different ensemble cast in each with some really great and creative episodes.
Iconic fairy tales explored in the series include The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. The series, however, was cancelled after season two.
The Twilight Zone (2019) – 67%
There were high hopes for this reimagining of the original Rod Serling 1959 series, but this anthology series ended after two seasons, reportedly on the creators' terms, who felt they had told the stories they wanted to tell. The concept was similar to the original, with each episode covering different thrilling and social topics, like the supernatural, racism, alien invasions, and immigration, with twists that would have viewers jumping out of their seats or cringing as they looked away.
There was a total of 20 episodes in the two seasons of The Twilight Zone, but the reviews weren’t enough to rank it in the top five originals currently on Paramount+.
Strange Angel (2018) – 71%
This historical drama is about Jack Parsons, a blue-collar worker in the 1930s who finds himself immersed in the world of sex magic rituals and the occult. Based on the novel Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons by George Pendle, the title character is based on the real-world Parsons, a thelemic magician and scientist.
Another series that has been canceled, the 17 episodes of the first two seasons are still available to stream.
One Dollar (2018) – 80%
One of only four original dramas to reach an at least 80% rating, this mystery thriller is about a single dollar bill that changes hands among various people within a small rust belt community in post-recession America. The idea is that this single bill connects a variety of people to a murder, and trailing its path reveals secrets and cultural divides ingrained in the town.
Despite the positive reviews, One Dollar was canceled after just one season.
Star Trek: Discovery (2017) – 84%
Not surprisingly, this Star Trek franchise series ranks in the top three. Arguably the pull that drew subscribers to CBS All Access in the first place, Star Trek: Discovery serves as the seventh series in the Star Trek franchise and the first since Star Trek: Enterprise from way back in 2005.
Taking place 10 years after the events of the original series, fans get right back into the swing of things with the crew of the USS Discovery. Watch the three seasons to date with a fourth set to premiere on Paramount+ later in 2021.
Star Trek: Picard (2020) – 87%
Overtaking Star Trek: Discovery for the second-place spot, fans were delighted to see the return of Patrick Stewart, who reprises his role of Jean-Luc Picard for Star Trek: Picard. Now retired, he is dealing with the death of Data and the destruction of the planet Romulus.
Much slower paced than Star Trek fans might be used to, the series has still become a massive success, even launching Star Trek: Short Treks, a companion series that serves as a prequel (and is also streaming on Paramount+, though it isn't yet rated on Rotten Tomatoes). With two seasons to date, a third is expected.
The Good Fight (2017) – 96%
Many might believe the two anchor Star Trek projects would be the best reviewed on the streaming site. But alas, The Good Fight, the first scripted original series for the service, boasts a much higher score, making it the top-ranked original for Paramount+.
A spin-off and sequel of The Good Wife, it follows Christine Baranski's character Diane who must start over at a new law firm after a financial scam leads her to lose her job and all her savings. There are four seasons to date with a renewal for a fifth already granted.